Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The Commodore Format Power Pack 42 delivers a remarkable blend of classic action and user-made ingenuity. On one side of the tape you’ll find two full Hewson-produced adventures—Stormlord and its sequel Deliverance—each showcasing finely tuned platforming and exploration. On the flip side, three Shoot ’Em Up Construction Kit entries by a New Zealander expand the lineup with fast-paced shooters and a quirky platformer. This mix ensures there’s always something new to master, whether you crave finely balanced set-pieces or the rough-and-ready charm of tape-loaded homebrew.

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Stormlord initiates the journey with its atmospheric levels, requiring precision jumps, clever use of limited spells and the rescue of trapped fairies. Its sequel, Deliverance, refines these mechanics—introducing more varied weapons, subtle environmental puzzles and even occasional flying sequences. Both titles keep you on your toes with responsive controls and a steady ramp in difficulty, rewarding careful exploration and twitch-shooter reflexes in equal measure.

Alien Smash ups the ante with a vertical-scroll shooter that places you on rickety roads, forcing split-second lane changes to avoid gaps before blasting waves of extraterrestrials. Mini-boss encounters break into tumbling chunks, adding tactile feedback to every successful hit. Fire Eagle shifts the focus to cave exploration: your ship navigates claustrophobic tunnels where any brush against the jagged walls means instant destruction. Meanwhile, Chrome Bros surprises as a SEUCK-powered platformer—ladders to climb, collectible bonuses and daggers sliding in symmetrical patterns. Ammunition is scarce here, so brute force gives way to stealthy timing.

Across all five games, difficulty curves vary widely. Stormlord’s platform puzzles demand patience and timing; Deliverance rewards map-memo mastery; Alien Smash and Fire Eagle push shooter veterans; Chrome Bros offers a slower, exploration-driven challenge. This diversity keeps each loading session fresh—just be prepared for a few trial-and-error runs while the tape loader hunts the next title.

Graphics

Hewson’s signature style shines in both Stormlord and Deliverance, with richly detailed backgrounds, multi-layer parallax and expressive sprite animation. The gothic castles, twisting caverns and fairy-filled groves brim with personality despite the Commodore 64’s palette constraints. Occasional sprite flicker during intense boss fights is a minor concession to the hardware’s limits but never obscures the action.

The three SEUCK titles inevitably adopt a more utilitarian aesthetic. Alien Smash uses simple, repetitive road textures and brightly colored alien sprites; the mini-boss break-apart effect is clever, but level backdrops remain plain. Fire Eagle presents moody cave walls, though the narrow corridor visual is functional rather than eye-catching, and low contrast can make fast dodges risky. In Chrome Bros, the platfomer’s symmetric levels feel neat but sterile—ladders, platforms and sliding daggers share uniform color schemes that sometimes blend together.

On the upside, the SEUCK engine allows each title to run smoothly even with dozens of on-screen objects. Color clashes and attribute-bleeding are minimal, a testament to the creator’s careful layout. When viewed on a CRT display, the soft bloom and slight scanlines actually add charm. While these homebrew entries won’t rival Hewson’s artistry, they serve as solid proof of SEUCK’s versatility when wielded by a dedicated hobbyist.

Sound design across the pack is similarly varied. Stormlord’s moody tunes and well-timed jingles heighten tension, while Deliverance adds richer tracks and punchier effects. The SEUCK games rely on simple bleeps and bloops, punctuated by occasional explosion samples—nothing award-winning but adequate for short arcade bursts. Overall, the graphics and audio combine to create a nostalgic snapshot of 1980s UK game design at both professional and amateur levels.

Story

Story in the Commodore Format Power Pack 42 is front-loaded into the Hewson classics. In Stormlord, you assume the mantle of a benevolent sorcerer striving to free enchanted fairies from the clutches of the evil Mordheil. Sparse cutscenes bookend each level, delivering a fairytale vibe that underpins the hauntingly beautiful landscapes.

Deliverance picks up the narrative immediately, expanding the lore with new villains and increasingly perilous environments—ancient temples, frozen wastes and molten caverns. Although dialogue is limited to brief on-screen captions, the heightened stakes and visual storytelling keep you invested in your quest for vengeance and redemption.

The trio of SEUCK releases offers little in the way of plot. Alien Smash is textbook arcade fare: shoot down invading aliens, survive mini-bosses, rinse and repeat. Fire Eagle asks only that you pilot through deadly tunnels to obliterate unknown threats. Chrome Bros hints at a treasure-hunt premise, but the focus remains firmly on platforming mechanics rather than narrative arcs. In all three, the player fills in backstory gaps through the manual or sheer imagination.

While hardcore story aficionados may find the homebrew titles bare-bones, the simple setups serve their respective genres effectively. In contrast, the Hewson games demonstrate how minimal text and evocative visuals can weave an engaging fantasy tapestry without lengthy exposition. For buyers prioritizing plot, the pack’s strength lies squarely in the two older titles.

Overall Experience

Power Pack 42 offers exceptional value for Commodore 64 enthusiasts. Two landmark Hewson adventures join three inventive SEUCK experiments on a single cassette—an enticing proposition for retro collectors or newcomers seeking an affordable sampler of classic UK game design. Even accounting for tape loading times and occasional retries, the sheer volume of content feels generous.

Loading from cassette is part of the authentic experience: the familiar whir of the Datasette, the suspense as blocks click into memory, and the triumphant “GAME ON” cheer when the title screen finally appears. If you prefer instant access, disk or TAP-file conversions exist, but nothing quite matches the tactile ritual of real-tape play.

This compilation caters to a broad audience: platformer fans will delight in Stormlord’s magic and Deliverance’s expanded arenas, shooter enthusiasts can test their reflexes in Alien Smash and Fire Eagle, and those seeking something off-beat will appreciate Chrome Bros’ quirky SEUCK-powered level design. Difficulty spikes may frustrate novices, but they also encourage repeated runs and mastery.

Ultimately, Commodore Format Power Pack 42 stands as both a time capsule and a celebration of home computing creativity. Whether you’re reliving childhood memories or discovering these titles for the first time, the pack delivers varied, engaging gameplay packaged in a uniquely 1980s format. Highly recommended for anyone looking to deepen their C64 library with both professional classics and grassroots ingenuity.

Retro Replay Score

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